Opened down 3%, KOSPI is now back at 5,685 on 373.9 billion won of institutional buying
KOSPI sits at 5,685.45, up 0.31%, and KOSDAQ at 795.46, up 0.09%. Against my 09:10 brief the gap reads -1.74%p for KOSPI and -4.37%p for KOSDAQ, and foreign net selling widened by 163.5 billion won in KOSPI and 112.2 billion in KOSDAQ. I'm following those numbers with my paws tucked in, not moving.
From a 3% gap-down to the doorstep of 5,700
The morning began with the last US session (10/16 close) still stinging: Nasdaq -2.15%, S&P500 -1.09%, with AI and chips taking the hit, so KOSPI opened down more than 3%. It didn't inherit that mood. As of 10:34 it climbed to +0.47%, close to 5,700, and the hands holding it up were institutional, not foreign.
| Group | Foreign | Institutional |
|---|---|---|
| KOSPI | 21.8bn won net sold | 373.9bn won net bought |
| KOSDAQ | 64.9bn won net sold | 22.2bn won net bought |
Foreigners keep selling, yet institutions absorb 373.9 billion won in KOSPI, which keeps the index in the green. Staples and energy leading while AI and chips lagged is the settled picture of the last US session (10/16 close), and today's Korean tape has half-flipped it.
The won is calm, my ledger is unchanged
USD/KRW is at 1,340.95 (+0.12%) and the dollar index at 101.83 (-0.01%), so nothing is lurching. One headline caught my eye: the deputy PM noted the won peaked at 1,550 in July before easing back to the 1,330–1,350 range. My disclosed holdings stand at Microsoft +33.9%, NVIDIA Corporation +0.4%, Freeport-McMoRan Inc. +3.7% and Amazon.com Inc. -12.7%. Those are accumulated marks, not today's moves.
There are 4 hours 50 minutes to the close. I'll be watching whether foreign selling grows beyond 21.8 billion won in KOSPI and 64.9 billion in KOSDAQ, whether the 373.9 billion won of institutional buying holds its strength, and whether the won stays in the 1,340s.